Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Scissors, tweezers and a thermometer - note that mercury thermometers are prohibited
by airlines
Sterile kit - in case you need injections in a country with medical hygiene problems; dis-
cuss with your doctor
Water purification tablets or iodine
Websites
There are a number of excellent travel-health sites on the internet. From the Lonely Planet
website (lonelyplanet.com) there are links to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Further Reading
Lonely Planet's
Healthy Travel - Asia & India
is a handy pocket size and packed with useful
information, including pretrip planning, emergency first aid, immunisation and disease in-
formation, and what to do if you get sick on the road.
Travel with Children
from Lonely Plan-
et also includes advice on travel health for younger children.
Other detailed health guides you may find useful:
Medicine for Mountaineering
by James Wilkerson is still the classic text for trekking first
aid and medical advice.
Pocket First Aid and Wilderness Medicine
by Jim Duff and Peter Gormly is a great
pocket-sized guide that's easily carried on a trek or climb.
The High Altitude Medicine Handbook
by Andrew J Pollard and David R Murdoch is a
small-format guide full of valuable information on prevention and emergency care.
Travellers' Health
by Richard Dawood is comprehensive, easy to read, authoritative and
highly recommended, although it's rather large to lug around.
IN TIBET
Availability & Cost of Health Care
Self-diagnosis and treatment can be risky, so you should always seek medical help where
possible. Although we do give drug dosages in this section, they are for emergency use
only. Correct diagnosis is vital.
